July
I continue my project, getting in 100 rides in the course of the year and posting one picture from each ride. Let's hope it's going to be a warm month, and a dry one. Or for the sake of the farmers, let's hope it rains at night - but mainly at night, for the sake of us cyclists!
Day 60 - July 3, 2018
A Kindred Spirit
A Kindred Spirit

I think we have something in common, although he might be even slower than me. He hasn't moved an inch since the last time I saw him. We always pass this friendly snail on our way to Westpark. Janos and I took a late afternoon ride, photographed some of the remaining roses in the Rosengarten and then enjoyed barbequed spare ribs in the beer garden.
Day 61 - July 5, 2o18
Urban Exploring
Urban Exploring
We have become urbexers! Urban explorers looking for lost places, of which there aren't many in Munich. Most derelict buildings, so-called lost places, have been found again or at least not completely forgotten. Usually fenced in, they are often registered as historic monuments. The hochbunker here is accessible but you can't enter. If it were completely forgotten, I think it would be crumbling and a public hazard.
Cycled 18 km looking for old things for the Cycle365 Challange. This is also the beginning of my hochbunker collection.
Cycled 18 km looking for old things for the Cycle365 Challange. This is also the beginning of my hochbunker collection.
Day 62 - July 7, 2018
Urbexing in Aubing and Allach
Urbexing in Aubing and Allach
I had two lost places on my list for our ride on Saturday, the old Heizkraftwerk in Aubing and the former Diamaltwerk in Allach. Getting to both venues took us through parts of Munich that we weren't familiar with. I planned a route with side streets and did my best to avoid the paths frequently ridden. Neither of the buildings we visited were really lost places altlhough they had been at one time. We were a few years too late. The Heizkraftwerk in Aubing was fenced in but not crumbling - perhaps there are plans to restore the building some day. The second building we visited turned out to be two buildings, the Diamalt tower house and the Diamalt boiler house, in the picture. The boiler house is now a residential and commercial building, the tower house is a picturesque ruin but looks like it is being restored. I have more pictures on my monthly challenges page.
Day 63 - July 8, 2018
Four Thousand Kilometers
Four Thousand Kilometers
Today on our way home from the Botanical Gardens, I reached the 4,000 km mark! I wanted to stop when I reached exactly 4,000, which I did. Had to get a photo, of course. I somehow blocked the traffic, stopping where I did. At least one driver gave me a dirty look. I then pulled over to the side of the road and took my picture.
I've had the bike since April 2017, a year and three months.
I've had the bike since April 2017, a year and three months.
Day 64 - July 10, 2018
The Old Isartalbahn Round House
The Old Isartalbahn Round House
We were looking for negelcted, run-down and forgotten buildings, so-called lost places. I remember at the onset of a trip to Innsbrück eleven years ago we came across an old round house on the Isartalbahn bike path, a disused railway line on the southern edge of Munich. We cycled there today and found the former railroad buildings had been completely renewed, no trespassing allowed. What a disappointment that these vestiges of the past have disappeared, today all steel and glass. Yes, some brick of the original buildings remains, no patina, though. It was a quest for something old that is now new. But it was a nice cycle. I found new streets for cycling through Munich and we returned along the Isar, altogether 26 km.
Day 65 - July 11, 2018
A Short Ride for Some Pictures
A Short Ride for Some Pictures
I didn't ride far today, but I'll call it a ride anyway. I'll call anything a ride that isn't just out shopping. Here I was in Hessstrasse, a few blocks from home, with my camera, looking for neglected buildings and other old stuff. Found lots of fun graffiti.
Day 66 - July 12, 2018
Chinese Temple
Chinese Temple
Today we rode out to Planegg for pizza - my idea of a good way to spend my birthday. The weather was perfect, as well. It's a route we often take, not much to explore along the way but a nice ride on bike paths and through the Stadtpark on the way out and the Westpark on the way home. On the way back, desperately searching a subject, we stopped outside Westpark's Chinese temple. Repair work is going on and you can't enter, but I liked the wall. So that's my picture for the day.
Day 67 - July 14, 2018
A Ride to the Giesing Flea Market
A Ride to the Giesing Flea Market
Today is a sunny Saturday, not a good day for bike paths, too many people and not all cyclists are considerate traffic participants. Nevertheless, we had to ride along the Isar with all the other cycists. We survived. Our destination was a small neighborhood flea market in Giesing, about 9 km distant. It's called the Green Corner Flea Market for obvious reasons. It was a very laid back scene and there were more people with stands than prospective customers. But it's always good to have a goal and not just ride around in cirlces for no good reason. On the way home, we stopped at the Hofbräu beer garden on Wiener Platz. Hadn't been there for a long time.
Day 68 - July 15, 2018
Discovering New Routes in the City
Discovering New Routes in the City
Rode out to have lunch with son and family. Took a different route this time, not intentionally but because I wasn't thinking and headed for the Friedenheimer Brücke over the train line. When I noticed I had gotten off track, I turned right so as not to take the bridge and kind of winged it from there. I found a wonderful bicycle path along the train tracks that took me to the Laimer Unterführung, the underpass that I wanted. A great discovery. The usual route is on a busy bike path and goes through Hirschgarten, a park that is nice but not so much on a Sunday with all the people. I didn't take any pictures along the way, so I had to take one when I got home. That is the shed where my bicycle lives. I rode 22 km altogether.
Day 69 - July 16, 2018
An Amble Not Far From Home
An Amble Not Far From Home
Die Hunde Kommen - that's what I found when I went out on my bike today. I didn't feel like anything ambitious, I hardly managed to get myself out of the house. But I finally did, without a destination in mind. I ended up cirlcing around the Olympic Park and looking for nooks and crannies that were less explored. An open gate was an invitation even if it did say No Trespassing. It didn't look very forbidding. As was to be expected, there was a bit of graffiti on the old warehouses or workshops or whatever they were. Someone had sprayed The Dogs Are Coming - but they didn't and I got out unscathed.
Day 70 - July 17, 2018
Collecting Bunkers
Collecting Bunkers
Out in the late afternoon, looking for some more hochbunkers to photograph. The first was close to home, but my pictures weren't satisfactory so I'll have to return. The second hochbunker on my list... well I didn't even find it. Although I try, sometimes my map reading ability deserts me. I'll have to come back. By that time the sky was grey and stormy, but I was determined to accomplish my mission. So I cycled on to the hochbunker on Ungererstrasse. It's been beautifully renovated and houses five luxury apartments and some space for art exhibits. I got my pictures and it began to rain. But I have a new rain jacket, remember? I rode 14 km, half of which were in the rain.
Day 71 - July 19, 2018
More for My Collection
More for My Collection
Second try to get a nice shot of this well camouflaged hochbunker. As far as I know, it isn't used. In the background is the BMW tower. After stopping here, I cycled on and got three more hochbunkers for my collection - which is now on a separate page on my website. It was a fun, exploratory ride through streets of Munich that I'm not familiar with. Round trip was 20 km.
Day 72 - July 24, 2018
Graffiti on the Quest for Hochbunkers
Graffiti on the Quest for Hochbunkers
The summer continues to be exceptional, and no rain in sight. Today we pursued our quest for hochbunkers, this time in Allach. I had prepared a route for our Garmins and we were off. Allach is to the northwest of Munich, our ride was 25 km round trip, much of it through parts of Munich and on roads that we didn't know. It was a great ride and I could add two new bunkers to my collection.
Day 73 - July 27, 2018
Thinking of Vincent
Thinking of Vincent
Last week we passed by myriads of sunflowers in the fields facing Blutenburg Palace but didn't stop. This morning we decided to go back and take some pictures.
Just as we were cycling out, we encountered hords of kids on bikes and kick scooters on their way home from school. It was the last day before summer vacation and the kids only went in to pick up their report cards. What a feeling - summer vacation, carefree days! But I also saw two little girls sobbing and tried to imagine what their story might be. Was it a bad report card that brought such grief? Janos said he never cried when he got a bad report card - although it was no laughing matter in socialist Hungary. But today the two little girls brought tears to his eyes.
After taking lots of pictures, we proceeded on to Pasing where there was another hochbunker waiting. It was hard to find, sandwiched in between newer buildings, but we found it and cycled home misson accomplished. The hochbunker is in my collection.
Cycled 26 km.
Just as we were cycling out, we encountered hords of kids on bikes and kick scooters on their way home from school. It was the last day before summer vacation and the kids only went in to pick up their report cards. What a feeling - summer vacation, carefree days! But I also saw two little girls sobbing and tried to imagine what their story might be. Was it a bad report card that brought such grief? Janos said he never cried when he got a bad report card - although it was no laughing matter in socialist Hungary. But today the two little girls brought tears to his eyes.
After taking lots of pictures, we proceeded on to Pasing where there was another hochbunker waiting. It was hard to find, sandwiched in between newer buildings, but we found it and cycled home misson accomplished. The hochbunker is in my collection.
Cycled 26 km.
This July was one of the five hottest since temperatures have been recorded here. It's still hot, the thermometer showing 32°C, and going strong into August. For us anything around 30°C is very hot. So I have stayed home the last few days instead of pedaling. Am I being sensible or just lazy?
So far I have completed 73/100 bicycle days: 0 in January, 1 in February, 8 in March and 15 in April, 21 in May, 14 in June and 14 in July.
So far I have completed 73/100 bicycle days: 0 in January, 1 in February, 8 in March and 15 in April, 21 in May, 14 in June and 14 in July.